1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information-processing apparatus equipped with a cordless pen such as word processors, personal computers, electric notebooks and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a typical word processor as a prior art information-processing apparatus equipped with a cordless pen. FIG. 1A shows the apparatus without a pen stored and FIG. 1B shows the apparatus with a pen stored. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the prior art apparatus.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the word processor is composed of an upper cabinet 101 and a lower cabinet 102, and the upper cabinet 101 is attached rotatably relative to the lower cabinet 102. The word processor is in use when the upper cabinet 101 is open. The lower cabinet 102 is provided with a keyboard 103 as an input means. The upper cabinet 101 has a display portion 104 for displaying information and the like inputted via the keyboard 103. Provided on the right side of the display portion 104 is a pen holding case 106 for holding a cordless pen 105 as well as a recess 107 housing the pen holding case 106. A power switch 108 is provided on the side face of the upper cabinet 101.
The pen holding case 106 is attached to and disposed rotatably on the bottom of the recess 107. The recess 107 is formed such that the upper face of the pen holding case 106 flush with the inner face of the upper cabinet 101 when the pen holding case 106 is restored.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a system of the conventional word processor will be described. The prior art system includes a central processing unit 121 for effecting various operations; a display device 122 for effecting display output; a keyboard input device 123 for allowing input of characters and etc., through keyboard 103; a main memory 124 for storing program data and the like therein; a pen input device 125 for effecting position input through a pen; an auxiliary memory device 126 for storing program data and the like therein; an electric power unit 127 for supplying electric power to the whole system; and a speaker 128 for generating beeps.
Typical cordless pen-equipped information-processing apparatuses would be thus composed in general in the initial stage of the development.
Although the thus configurated information-processing apparatus equipped with a cordless pen has a means for storing the cordless pen, the apparatus is not provided at all with a detecting means for detecting whether or not the pen holding case is inserted into the recess of the cabinet after the cordless pen is replaced in the pen holding case. Therefore, despite the fact that the pen is not stored, the power might be deactivated and the cabinet would be closed. Accordingly, it was impossible to prevent loss of the cordless pen before.
To deal with such a drawback, various proposals have been made to prevent the loss of the cordless pen.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 2 No. 100712, for example, has disclosed a hand-writable input apparatus in which a cordless pen is prevented from not being returned to its storage location. This mechanism will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. These figures are partial illustrative views showing a vicinity of a cordless pen storing portion in the hand-writable input apparatus. FIG. 3A, in particular, shows the apparatus without the cordless pen stored and FIG. 3B shows the apparatus with the pen stored.
In FIGS. 3A and 3B, reference numerals 4 and 6 designate a cordless pen and a storing portion, respectively. The apparatus further includes a pen storage-detecting portion 7 which supplies a detection signal to an unillustrated controller in order to indicate the detection state by means of a buzzer or display means.
Disposed in the lower part of the storing portion 6 is a hole 8 through which a moving piece 9 projects into the storing portion 6. The moving piece 9 and a fixed piece 10 capable of contacting with the moving piece 9, in cooperation, form a switch. Accordingly, if the cordless pen 4 is not stored as shown in FIG. 3A, the pieces 9 and 10 are separate from each other. On the other hand, if the cordless pen 4 is replaced in the storing portion 6 as shown in FIG. 3B, the pieces 9 and 10 are brought into contact with each other to turn on the switch, whereby the detection signal is supplied to the controller. This input apparatus is constructed such that the state of the cordless pen 4 or whether the pen is stored in place or displaced is detected simultaneously when the power switch of the input apparatus is turned off. In one word, this apparatus is adapted to give a warning if the pen 4 is not stored in place when the power switch is turned off.
As another publicly known art, Japanese Patent Application Hei 2 No. 125324 discloses a coordinate-point input apparatus using a cordless coordinate-point input pen. Also in this art, an improvement is made in order to prevent the cordless pen from not being returned to its storage location. In the apparatus, there is provided means for informing whether or not the input pen is held in a pen holding means when the power is deactivated. This mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The figure is a schematic illustration showing a configuration of a vicinity of the pen holding means in the art. Reference numerals 1 and 30 designate a cordless pen and a pen holding means 30, respectively. Provided on the bottom inside of the holding means 30 is a switch 31 which is turned on and off by sensing presence and absence (or weight) of the pen 1. A pen detecting circuit 32 inspects the state of the switch 31. On the other hand, the coordinate-point input apparatus itself has a switch 36 for main power supply and further includes a power off detecting circuit 34 for inspecting power supply to an unillustrated operating controlling circuit, etc., and a buzzer activating circuit 35. When the buzzer activating circuit 35 receives a signal from the pen detecting circuit 32 carrying information of displacement of the pen 1 from the pen holding means 30 and another signal from the power off detecting circuit 34 carrying information of disengagement of the power supply to the apparatus body, the buzzer 33 is activated to give an alarm.
The above-described both examples are provided with means which informs the disengagement of the pen if the pen is not stored when the power is turned off. Nevertheless, in such a configuration, if the pen is unmounted for a prolonged period of time, there is a possibility of not being able to prevent the pen from not being returned to its storage location. In particular, in the above examples, since the power switch of the main apparatus can be turned off even if the pen is not stored in place, the pen could go unreturned as easily expected while the apparatus is left with the pen unmounted for a prolonged period of time.